Jazz Attack: Best Smooth Jazz Tour Ever?

The first-ever Jazz Attack tour, with saxophonist Richard Elliot, trumpeter Rick Braun, guitarist Peter White and guitarist and vocalist Jonathan Butler, concluded its four-month run on Aug. 6 in Woodinville, Washington. (The show will return for a special engagement in October in Delaware.)

The show’s format is a little different than most, since all of the performers – for the most part – all share the stage at the same time instead of concentration on just their solo work. Elliot says that the tour has been well-received by fans because all four musicians get together so well on stage and off, and that translates into a good time for all.

“This might be the best collaboration tour I’ve ever been a part of,” he says. “And I’ve been on a few of them. We wanted Jazz Attack to really have a feeling of more of a band than a bunch of individual artists. I think people respond to that. There’s something about this one that, for me, is very special. I mean, I can’t put myself in the position of the audience. They have to be the judge of that. But from an artist who’s on the tour, I will tell you, it’s just really a very special tour.”

On Saturday, the foursome showed why the show was a hit in more than 30 American cities since debuting in April. They had an easy rapport with the audience, which is a must for group tours such as these. But one reason the tour went over so well is one of the worst-kept secrets in the industry: It’s increasingly tough to sell a summer festival audience by a single performer. Earlier, separate shows this year at nearby Marymoor Park featured a few hundred people tops for guitarists Jesse Cook and Ottmar Liebert.

Fans want value at outdoor venues, and Jazz Attack offered plenty.